WASHINGTON (AP) — Christian Benteke scored two goals, Alex Bono had four saves and D.C. United rallied from an early deficit to beat the shorth-handed Seattle Sounders 2-1 Saturday night.
The 33-year-old Benteke has scored eight goals this season, tied with Real Salt Lake's Cristian Arango for second in MLS, behind only Lionel Messi (nine) of Inter Miami.
Aaron Herrera chipped an arcing cross from the right goal line to the back post and Benteke outjumped Cristian Roldan at the corner of the 6-yard box and ripped a header that powered through the fingertips of goalkeeper Andrew Thomas to give D.C. United a 2-1 lead in the 45th minute.
Seattle (1-5-3) has scored just one goal and is winless in three consecutive games since a 5-0 win over CF Montreal on April 6.
D.C. United (3-3-4), which had lost back-to-back games, snapped a three-game winless streak.
Seattle’s Stefan Frei was shown a red card (denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity) and Benteke converted from the penalty spot in the 32nd for D.C. United to make it 1-1, Andrew Thomas replaced Frei, Léo Chú came off and the Sounders played a man down the rest of the way.
Chú opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Albert Rusnák had a shot from the top of the penalty area blocked, as was the first-touch rebound by Joshua Atencio before Jordan Morris played a line-drive entry to Chú for a header that ricocheted off the post into the net.
Thomas finished with three saves for the Sounders.
